THE ADOPTION OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES - HUMAN-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

Recent studies hypothesize that the adoption of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) leads to changes in the composition of the labor for ce in favor of workers with higher skill levels, Furthermore, employee development and empowerment strategies are enacted to promote these c hanges, Some of this literature also suggests that when examining thes e effects, it is important to distinguish between linked AMT and integ rated AMT, The purpose of this study is to examine these issues using a comprehensive, prm-level survey of technology adoption and human res ource management strategies, The nature of these data enables us to ex amine compositional and empowerment changes that occur in the aftermat h of technological change, Our findings indicate that AMT adoption is associated with an overall downsizing of the firm and a shift in labor composition in favor of workers with higher skill levels, It appears that ''skill upgrading'' of the workforce occurs after new technologie s are implemented on the factory floor, We also find that human resour ce strategies that accompany these changes vary by category of technol ogy adoption, Linked AMT appears to be associated with a greater empha sis on employee empowerment, Conversely, compositional shifts toward m anagerial, technical, and R&D personnel are greater for integrated AMT , The implications of these findings for workforce and human resource strategies are discussed.